The official number of bodies found in the destruction of the World Trade Center stood at 305 yesterday, and the city medical examiner had identified 238. In all, 5,960 could be missing. Here are glimpses of some of those lives.

BENITO VALENTIN

'Our Life of the Party'

Anyone who ever heard the message on Benito Valentin's cellphone knows something about how he chose to live life, always looking for a laugh and a little fun. Ever the comedian, Mr. Valentin, 31, who worked for American Express, teased his callers with a message that said: ''Hello, hello, how you doing? Oh, this is a recording.''

Now Grissel Valentin, the woman he married on Valentine's Day 11 years ago, the mother of his three girls, calls to hear his voice two, sometimes three, times a day. It is a link to the man who, when he was not making people laugh, rushed home from work to talk baseball and dance salsa with his daughters, Danyelle, Jailene and Alyssa. ''He was our life of the party,'' Mrs. Valentin said. ''As long as I can hear his voice, I have hope that he isn't lying somewhere crushed but just trapped. We miss him too much to believe he's gone.''

GREG PREZIOSE

'Tow' and His Big Dreams

Greg Preziose's road to the world of high finance started behind the wheel of a tow truck. He was a driver, and a big dreamer. ''My husband was very determined,'' Lori Preziose said. ''Whatever he set his mind to, he proved it.''

At Cantor Fitzgerald, where Mr. Preziose, 34, traded bonds, he was known simply as ''Tow,'' a nod of respect from colleagues who marveled at his journey. At home he was superdad, a father never too tired to help coach baseball or football practice or just to embrace his three children. ''He had a full-time job, but he was as close to the children as any stay-at-home parent,'' his wife said. When the twin towers collapsed, she posted a flier with a picture of her husband being hugged tightly by his children. In bold letters, it read, 'Please find our daddy.' ''

Mary Lou Hague was a West Virginia girl who had come to New York three years ago and loved it. Or maybe it should be said that she loved it. Because, as her friend and onetime sorority sister Heather Fain remembers, when Ms. Hague, 26, loved something, she loved it big. She loved Michael Jackson, and spent $1,500 to see him the last weekend of her life. She loved 1980's music. She loved Twizzlers. ''She had given them up for Lent, I guess two Easters ago, and we went to church, but she had a pound bag of Twizzlers in her bag to take out as soon as we got out,'' Ms. Fain said. ''I took one, and took a bite and threw it away. She was, 'What did you just do?' ''

With her shoulder-length hair and Miss America smile, she got her share of attention. There was a little romance, on New Year's Eve 2000, with a scuba diving instructor at Club Med Martinique, but Ms. Hague, who lived near Gracie Mansion with a roommate, was thinking that she would like to meet a Southern guy, move back home to Parkersburg, W. Va., and have a dog. She worked as a financial analyst at Keefe Bruyette & Woods, on the 89th floor of the second tower to be hit. Her entire floor, according to Ms. Hague's mother, Liza Adams, was wiped out. Better to remember Ms. Hague doing what her friends called her happy dance, waving her arms in the air and, the minute she heard the music, hollering, ''Woo-hooo!''

EDWARD CALDERON

The Entertainer

Edward Calderon was always proud to wear the uniform that marked him as a security guard for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, but his feet felt best in dancing shoes. ''When I think of him I remember that he loved salsa,'' said his niece, Desiree Henley. ''He was extremely outgoing, loved to dance.''

He was the life of any gathering, said his sister-in-law, Sandra Calderon. And for years, he organized a regular Wednesday night salsa party in different locations at the World Trade Center for anybody who wanted to come, said his brother, Anthony. ''He liked to act and he wanted to direct -- he was an entertainer,'' Anthony said. ''That was his knowledge. That was his calling.''

Eddie Calderon, 43, lived in Jersey City and worked at the trade center for 22 years. He was last seen running toward the north tower after helping guide dozens of workers to safety. He was hoping to reach a few more just before the building collapsed, Mr. Calderon's boss told his brother.

KEVIN L. BOWSER

A Twin With His Own Style

He may have been an identical twin, but Kevin L. Bowser, 45, was no carbon copy of his genetically significant other. ''We hadn't dressed alike since grade school,'' said Kelvin Bowser. Though people confused the two, the brothers rarely played upon their surface sameness -- except as boys. When one faced a trip to the principal's office, he tended to claim that he had been mistaken for his twin.

Kevin was a vegetarian, a discipline that became more pronounced after their mother's death from cancer in 1991. Philadelphia Eagles fans since they were 5, they attended the same college, Kutztown State in Pennsylvania, at the instigation of their high school football coach; Kevin played defensive end.

After getting his business degree, Kevin stayed in Philadelphia, married and had two children, but commuted to a Wall Street job in Marsh & McLennan's technology division, teaching brokers how to use their computer software. This year he obtained company financing for the community football team that his twin coaches in southwest Philadelphia. ''We hadn't even written the thank-you letter yet,'' Kelvin said.

CARL FLICKINGER

Golf, Gadgets and Gifts

Carl Flickinger considered his work hours at Cantor Fitzgerald to be one of the job's biggest benefits. Though he started at 7 a.m., he was home by 6:30 p.m. with his family in Congers in Rockland County.

Mr. Flickinger, 38, slid comfortably into domestic routines. Every Saturday, he shopped for groceries before taking his 11-year-old twin sons to the mall for new sneakers or jeans. In the evening, he checked his sons' homework and read to his 5-year-old daughter. On and off the job, he drove himself. He would not just play an easy 18 holes of golf -- he took lessons and practiced on the driving range.

Mr. Flickinger was a gadget guy, said his wife, Kathy, and he liked to buy the latest nifty devices as gifts for friends.

Every morning before his commute, he bought coffee at the Dairy Mart and left it for his wife. And at 11 a.m., he always called home. ''Just to touch base,'' she said. ''Just to tell me how his morning was going.''

RICHARD CAPRONI

Unpacking Was a Pleasure

It was just a studio apartment, but Richard Caproni had finally become a homeowner after more than a decade of renting in Manhattan and Queens. He had bought in Lynbrook, on Long Island, not far from where he grew up, and moved in three weeks ago.

His sister, Lisa, was still decorating the place in denim-blue and wood hues. He told her no fussy, floral motifs. ''He was proud of buying that apartment,'' she said. ''Because he was on his own.''

Mr. Caproni, 34, worked in the accounts payable department at Marsh & McLennan. Known as Richie to his family and friends, he was always teasing them to make them laugh.

In high school, he played football and remained a lifelong fan. He favored the Giants, but followed other teams; he had tickets to an Ohio State game in a few weeks.

His new apartment would have been the perfect place to kick back and watch ''Monday Night Football.''

''He just had to unpack a little more,'' his sister said. ''And he was good to go.''

BENNETT L. FISHER

In Charge in a Purple Car

Many who escaped the Fiduciary Trust Company's offices in the south tower of the World Trade Center said afterward that they last saw Bennett L. Fisher on the 44th floor, pushing people into elevators and sending them to safety while he stayed behind.

Susan Fisher, his wife, said she was not surprised to hear it.

''He was very caring and take-charge and he was probably obnoxious as hell up there,'' Ms. Fisher said.

Mr. Fisher, 58, was a senior vice president at Fiduciary Trust, managing his clients' assets and troubleshooting the firm's computer systems.

His stepson, Jamie, thought his character was reflected in the once-familiar sight of this successful businessman, a sailor and a skier, motoring about in his aged Volvo, painted an unorthodox purple, while following his favorite conservative commentators on the radio.

Ms. Fisher said the family and friends are struck by the possibility that the attack that took his life could influence the world.

''Not to make it tougher,'' she said, ''but a little more understanding.''

GENE CALVI

Mr. Fix-It on Wheels

As a teenager, Gene Calvi bought a used Honda motorcycle that promptly conked out on him. Undaunted, he studied the service manual and dismantled it piece by piece in his parents' garage. After fixing a faulty piston, he put it back together again. It rode better than ever.

The year after, he moved on to a Volkswagen Rabbit. Same result. ''There was nothing he couldn't do, once he set his mind to it,'' said his brother, Alex. ''That's exactly how he ran his life.''

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Mr. Calvi, 34, never ceased to surprise his family with his prowess. He was a bond trader at Cantor Fitzgerald who fixed his own car and talked about building one from a kit just for fun.

He took up running with his wife, Christine, and was soon entering five-kilometer races near their home in East Rutherford, N.J. Less than a year later, he finished his first marathon.

''He was the most serious, responsible guy,'' his brother said. ''But he had this curiosity, and when he wanted to know something, he had to know everything about it.''

ANGELA KYTE

Organized and Precise

At 49, Angela Kyte was planning to retire in a year or two. She and her husband, Roger, had saved money and were fixing up a retirement home on Cape Cod. ''We went there in the summer,'' Mr. Kyte said. ''We loved bicycling along the National Seashore.''

Mrs. Kyte, who lived in Boonton, N.J., started at Marsh & McLennan when it was a young company and worked her way up to managing director.

She was very organized, taping a two-week list of dinner menus on the refrigerator for Mr. Kyte, a retired precision toolmaker, to prepare. And she had a lock-snap memory, which enabled her to make a shopping list with a time-efficient supermarket map -- up Aisle 2 for canned tomatoes, down Aisle 3 for paper towels.

The Kytes were putting away money for a scholarship fund at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa., where Mrs. Kyte graduated cum laude. Her husband intends to donate more in her memory.

JULIE ZIPPER

Defining Her Own Style

For most college students, a nice dinner out is a burrito and a beer. But not for Julie Zipper and Rick Klein, who met at the State University of New York at Binghamton. At a time when brown rice and steamed veggies were in vogue, they went to the nicest French restaurants they could afford.

Even then, Ms. Zipper had style, said Mr. Klein, who married her 24 years ago. She was a passionate shopper who bought clothes on sale just before they were cleared out, when the markdown was lowest. She wore them to Sunguard, a brokerage software company, and to parties, where she talked with everybody.

Ms. Zipper and Mr. Klein went to Europe on their honeymoon and returned with their children, 4 and 12. The children, it seems, have style, too. They were as happy in northern Italy as they were at Disney World. Their favorite food, Mr. Klein said, is salmon -- the same as their mother's.

EDWARD T. FERGUS JR.

The Sporting Life

Every Saturday, the first thing Edward T. Fergus Jr. did was drive to Dixville, N.Y., to tinker with his parents' boat and do some chores. Returning home to Wilton, Conn., he would go fishing on Long Island Sound with his 10-year-old son, Tom, and 11-year-old daughter, Shannon. Then, before dinner, he would work on the nearby house he was renovating. The question was: how?

''On-tap energy,'' said Allison Fergus, his sister. Working at Cantor Fitzgerald, he was home early enough for picnics in the boat with his wife, Linda, and the children. The winter sports were skiing and snowboarding, usually in Vermont.

Mr. Fergus, 40, organized the annual seaside vacation with his parents and two sisters, and coaxed his sisters out of Manhattan for events like the Norwalk Oysterfest. He was hard to miss, even in the church balcony. The priest always picked him out -- a head above everybody, with red hair that nearly glowed.

AIDA ROSARIO

Working Hard for Her Girls

Aida Rosario's family always knew when she was around: she was playing her music loud, or laughing hard, or leaving for work with a crying 3-year-old in tow on the way to day care.

Ms. Rosario, an assistant manager in the re-insurance division of Marsh & McLennan, shared a three-story family house in Jersey City with her mother, two brothers and a sister-in-law. She occupied the top floor with her daughters Amy, 14, and Jasmine, 3, and a 6-month-old granddaughter, Marilyn.

''She was very excited about having a granddaughter, although she was very unhappy about the fact that her 14-year-old was having a baby,'' said her sister-in-law, Minerva Rosario. ''She worked very hard so the children would be provided for.''

When Ms. Rosario had started working on the 94th floor of 1 World Trade Center three years ago, her family questioned her wisdom in light of the previous terrorist attack. ''She said, 'I have to feed my daughters,' '' her sister-in-law said. ''She said: 'So what? If the building's on fire I'll jump out the window.' '' But it was a joke. Ms. Rosario, 42 and divorced, never dwelled on the potential danger, instead focusing her energies on taking care of her girls. Now her family is haunted by speculation about what really happened to her. ''You just wonder,'' Minerva Rosario said.

ADEL ZAKHARY

Studying the Saints

Adel and Nagat Zakhary immigrated from Egypt 17 years ago to escape the terrorism aimed at Coptic Christians. ''Every year,'' said George, their 21-year-old son, ''there would be bombs on Christian buses going to monasteries.''

In North Arlington, N.J., the Zakharys centered their lives on St. Mark's and St. Anthony's Church. Mr. Zakhary studied the Bible, the lives of the saints and books by Bishop David, a friend and church leader. But Mr. Zakhary, 50, had a sharp side. ''He was sarcastic to the point you couldn't tell if he was serious,'' George said.

The family was intensely close. An accountant at Carr Futures, Mr. Zakhary worked nights and cooked the dinner. ''Cheesecake with strawberries,'' George said. ''Chicken cordon bleu.'' When anyone went to the doctor, Mr. Zakhary took a day off to accompany them. Mrs. Zakhary startled the doctor last week when she turned up for her appointment, alone.

KRISTINE SWEARSON

Sister, Cousin, Girlfriend

Kristine Swearson's search for her family roots led her to North Dakota two years ago. She found long-lost cousins who embraced her and set up a family Web site to stay in touch. And she found love with a young man who turned out not to be a relation of any kind.

''I gave her a hard time about it,'' said her sister, Kerri Roberts. ''I asked her, 'Are you sure he's not a cousin, or a cousin of a cousin?' '' Ms. Swearson just laughed and kept the boyfriend.

Ms. Swearson, 34, began her adventures in San Jose, Calif. As teenagers, the Swearson sisters would choreograph dances to their favorite disco tunes and perform in the family's garage. They even charged the neighborhood children a quarter for the show.

In later years, the disco gave way to yoga and a Web-design job with eSpeed, a division of Cantor Fitzgerald. But Ms. Swearson never forgot to call or write her disco partner every day. ''I was extremely proud of her,'' Ms. Roberts said. ''I couldn't have had a better sister.''

PATRICK J. BUHSE

Living Large, Playing Hard

The yelling, screaming, posturing and power plays of the trading floor were Patrick J. Buhse's idea of nirvana. A government bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald, Mr. Buhse, 36, scrapped his way up from entry level in ''the cage'' at 18 and never worked anyplace else. ''College or Cantor,'' was his take on higher education.

He lived large and played hard: Mr. Buhse was a Budweiser man. What he liked even better than amassing money was giving it away to relatives. A car here, a fur coat there, private school for the nieces and nephews. Sure, he drove a Honda, but it was brand-new. ''He wasn't showy, but all his toys had to be new and clean,'' said his wife, Susan. ''And his television had to be the biggest.''

Relentlessly social, Mr. Buhse looked for any excuse to entertain on the town or at home in Lincroft, N.J. He loved telling jokes, and was not above stealing other people's anecdotes and improving them. He doted on his two children and reserved Friday nights for family in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where he was the loudest of six siblings. ''The glass was always half full, not half empty,'' his wife said. ''His motto was, 'Live for the moment.' ''

The Confirmed Dead

Following is a list of the latest six people confirmed to have died in the World Trade Center disaster, according to the New York City medical examiner's office, which released the list yesterday. The office said the victims' families had been notified.

BONNETT, Colin

LATOUCHE, Jeffrey

LIU, Ming-Hao

MADDEN, Richard

PAPASSO, Salvatore

TAKAHASHI, Keiichiro

Correction: October 5, 2001, Friday An article last Friday about people who have been declared missing in the World Trade Center attack misstated the job title and the last known location of Edward Calderon, a Port Authority employee. He was an operations manager, not a security guard. He was last seen in the Operations Control Center in 2 World Trade Center, consoling people trapped in the elevators, a Port Authority spokesman said. He was not running to help people in the other tower. Correction: July 17, 2002, Wednesday A biographical sketch on Sept. 28 about a World Trade Center victim, Edward Calderon, an operations manager for the Port Authority, misstated his age. His wife notified The Times recently that he was 44, not 43.